The Black Rose
by hatsudami
Summary: In this AU fanfic, Lelouch gets defeated and brutally murdered by his father, Charles zi Britannia. It is now left to his younger sister Raquel ni Britannia to continue the battle against Britannia and secure not just Japan's independence but the independence of other Areas too.


**As stated earlier, this is an AU fic. Crazy ideas keep popping up so might as well create a fic with one such idea and that is a world whereby Lelouch is truly dead and someone other than Suzaku takes the mantle of Zero. Also Raquel Ni Britannia is an OC character. Also this is an AU whereby everyone knows Lelouch's identity as : I don't own these characters. All rights belong to Sunrise.**

**FLASHBACK**

_Tears flowed down Raquel's eyes as she held her brother's frail body. Not too long ago, a point blank laser shot by Charles zi Britannia's Knightmare Frame, the Athena, hit the Shinkiro and left Lelouch and C.C severely injured._

"_Do not cry for me Raquel. Rather, weep for those still living on Earth, for they truly deserve a better future." Lelouch croaked ,coughing out some blood. "A FUTURE YOU VERY MUCH WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM HAD NOT SACRIFICED YOUR DAMN LIFE." She screamed, tears flowing down her eyes. The other Black Knights were nearby, drowning in sorrow as their leader breathed his last._

"_Sometimes Raquel, such changes deserve a sacrifice. I would much rather die a humble death then surrender my hopes and dreams to Britannia which is in itself a dream built upon the sweat, blood and tears of innocent people."_

_The former princess stared down at her brother. As painful as it is, Lelouch was right. Then it happened,whatever god or gods existed, snatched the soul of the man that gave up his life to protect them all, a man who fought for a brighter future for them . "NOOOOOOOO!" she screamed as she mourned her brother's exit from the world._

**END OF FLASHBACK**

Raquel sighed as she took to the podium. As of Lelouch's death, she had since been appointed as the new Leader of the Black Knights. In order to properly present herself to the world, she was to give a speech. She was nervous as she felt she lacked the charisma and strength her brother had. As though sensing her inner turmoil, Suzaku nodded at her with a little smile. The others also gave her smiles of support. Smiling, she takes a deep breath and speaks; "Oh, people of the world, those who have been oppressed by the Holy Empire of Britannia, I stand here before you on behalf of my fellow Black Knights and of course, our darling Leader, Lelouch Vi Britannia who sacrificed his life for the peace and happiness of us all."

"For those who aren't aware, my dear brother Lelouch was once a prince, 11th in line to the throne of the Holy Britannian Empire to be exact. However, Charles Zi Britannia, being the evil selfish bastard he is, exiled Lelouch and his crippled little sister Nunnally Vi Britannia to the shores of Japan, all because he had the guts to stand up to his cruelty which had something to do with his mother's death, something the rest of us protested about that led to our eventual disownment and exile."

The yells of outrage was enough to tell the Black Knights that they had support regardless of the circumstance. She continued,"My brother, upon coming here to Japan and witnessing the Britannia takeover, vowed to make them pay so dearly for their evil atrocities. It is for that reason he became the hero we all call Zero. That is why he decided to stand up to Britannia and fight for what is in our hearts, for if we search within our hearts, we'd realise that no man is a saint, rather humanity is a never ending cycle of sin. We all aspire for the same dream as Lelouch, however, none of us were brave enough to step forward and claim that which is rightfully us that was until Lelouch came forward."

"Charles thinks he's doing us all a favour but judging from Lelouch's murder, he certainly cares about himself more than anyone by trying to create a super race that rules over others. And for that reason, we Black Knights are saying, we shall not back down. I cannot replace Lelouch in our hearts, but the least I can do so honour his legacy and philosophy. He is not just Lelouch Vi Britannia or Lelouch Lamperouge , he is Zero, the man of miracles, our brother, our friend, our leader, our hero and most importantly, a human like the rest of us, and therefore I shall respect this great man by finishing his great work." The crowd cheered at her words. The rest of the Black Knights smiled with pride. She's just as passionate and charismatic as Lelouch afterall. Cornelia and the rest of the Britannian Royal Family present at the rally clapped and cheered their sister on. Schieniezel smiled slightly whilst comforting C.C who had burst into tears of passion. Lelouch had indeed choosen the right successor.

"I will not rest until Britannia crumbles and falls to ashes. I will not rest until you and I are all free of the bondages that have held us captive. I will not rest until all are treated equally regardless of race, colour, age, sex or sexual orientation. I will not rest until there is peace because that is all we ask, but if Britannia doesn't give that to us, then we might as well do it the hard way and reclaim our freedom and pronounce that yes, there is indeed a land called the United States of Japan. But I cannot do this alone which is why I call upon every single soul that has been tortured by Britannia to rise up and fight!" There was an unanimous round of applause that echoed within the stadium. She grinned proudly after her speech. Suzaku clapped her on the back. "You did well kiddo." She smiled back. Indeed, a new era has begun, an era that would forever redefine the history of mankind.

**So how's that guys? Since she's the new leader of the Black Knights. I thought it would make sense if she introduced herself this way. Charles here kind of reminds me of my mother to a certain extent as she also imposes her ideals on me. And when I rebel, she calls one of my older sisters and together, they both rant and insult expect me to adhere to tradition, but most of the time, I simply don't give a shit because gone are the days where children are expected to live their lives for their parents.**

**I have done enough for them so at least let me do something for myself. Anyways enough ranting. I am using Raquel and Lelouch here as a metaphor. This is message to others that suffering the same thing out there that you are not alone. Also, listen to your heart and not the words of others because no one knows you better you.**

**It may seem selfish to others but to you it is empowerment, so don't give up on yourself or commit suicide. I know because I went through loads of shit to actually rediscover myself. They accuse me of being selfish but really, which human isn't? In the next chapter, we shall learn more about Raquel's life history and how she got to where she is.**


End file.
